Army, MCC host science, technology event for students

Students from all around southeast Michigan get a glimpse of what their employment futures could look like this week courtesy of Macomb Community College and the U.S. Army.

MCC and the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in Warren team up for the their annual Robotics, Engineering and Technology Days.

The event, which began Monday and continues through Wednesday, will introduce some 1,800 students in grades 6 through 12 to underwater robots, hybrid military vehicles, renewable energy fields and more. Students enjoy hands-on demonstrations and instructional information from TARDEC engineers and officials.

“STEM is a very important field,” said Paul Rogers, TARDEC director. “It’s important for our country, it’s important for our Army and it’s important for our community.

“There are great career options for our students … We really want to promote these opportunities … and open their eyes to the possibilities.”

Over the next decade, demand for scientists and engineers in the United States is expected to increase at four times the rate of other occupations, Rogers said. Professions that emphasize science, technology, engineering and math offer some of the highest-paying jobs.

“I’m involved with several universities and they have 98 percent placement of their graduates, at a time when we’re struggling to place graduates.”

The event hosted by MCC allows students to move from station to station set up with robotics and other demonstrations. Students brief explanations, and then permitted to operate the devices and systems themselves.

Drew Wager, a ninth-grader from Eppler Elementary School in Utica, was among a group of his classmates to pilot by remote control a robotic device.

“It was really cool,” said Drew, who plans to pursue a career in engineering. “A group of high-schoolers made it. It’s not like it was made by any pros, so anybody could really make it.”

Convincing students of the advantages of studying STEM courses is challenging, said Derhun Sanders, communications and outreach director for TARDEC.

“What is challenging to us is that many students don’t know fact from fiction about being a scientist or engineer,” Sanders said. “To them, science and math are not seen as doorways to possible careers, but as difficult subjects that bring hours of homework.”

Events like the one at MCC helps break down those myths, said Joseph Petrosky, dean of engineering and advanced technology at MCC.

“(The event) provides middle and high school students the opportunity to engage in meaningful ways with the practical applications of science, technology, engineering and math,” he said.

And that, Petrosky said, could have even greater long-term benefits.

“Macomb sees this partnership with TARDEC and industry partners not only as a way to help create interest in career areas of promise for young people, but as a benefit to our community by building a local workforce that supports economic vitality,” he said.